Senior Conservatives calling for a merger with Reform UK to stop a hard-left government are being warned that such a move would destroy the party. Justine Greening, a former Conservative minister, argues that uniting the right would effectively validate Reform UK and drive away remaining Tory voters.
Latest polling shows the Conservative Party's national vote share at just 15-18%, down from 30% in September 2022. Greening describes the party as an 'empty warehouse' after its historic defeat in last year's general election.
Greening cautions that the 'unite the right' strategy is simplistic. It assumes the Tory vote is stable, but voters have already switched to Reform UK in the north, the Liberal Democrats in the south, or to Labour. The more the Tories talk about unity, the more they signal that the two parties are indistinguishable, potentially pushing anti-Reform voters elsewhere.
In a first-past-the-post system, voters may choose the party best placed to beat Labour. With Reform UK polling ahead nationally, it could be the Conservatives, not Reform, who are pressured to stand aside in constituencies. This would decimate grassroots support and party membership.
Greening suggests an alternative: those who want to unite the right should join Reform UK, leaving the Conservative Party to those who believe it can offer something distinct. She warns that continuing down the current path is a 'political death-wish' leading to electoral oblivion.
